Hi, my name is Amy Kenney, I'm a stay-at-home mother of nine and a student in the University of Utah's Bachelor of Social Work program.  I am also a film maker. 

Through the gift of writing, I was increasingly inspired to turn my essays to a more powerful medium of film.  Film is the medium of our time.  The messages I've been inspired to share are stories of hope, faith, forgiveness and healing.  Another inspiration was to create films that unite Christians of all faiths.  The film projects feature the cooperation and collaboration of shared gifts and talents of people of numerous denominational and non-denominational backgrounds united in a common goal, that of leading others to Christ. 

 In 2009, I wrote and directed my first feature film, Stand Strong.  www.standstrongmovie.com Talented actors, musicians, and technical crew contributed their gifts and talents to the making of the film.  It was released in October 2011.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzn4ESrnlus

It is now endorsed by Dave Ramsey.

Here is the Synopsis for Stand Strong:

“If you lose it all, will you stand or fall?"

Matt Webster measures his success by his possessions. Though he appears to have it all, pride of ownership does little to fill the void of a purposeless life. Broken relationships, isolation and pain for himself and his family, are the result of his pride and selfishness.

Through a series of financial and family crises, Matt and his family are stripped of all they own and are humbled enough to learn what success is really all about.

On the first day of filming Stand Strong, I was inspired with the story for the second film, Uphill Battle, which was filmed in 2011.  It will soon be released on DVD.   View the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW3blu8nwbY   It is the story of a single mother raising two teens after a divorce due to her husband’s pornography addiction and infidelity.

True to form, I was inspired with the story for the third film on the first day of filming.  The third film may be the most important one yet as it has the potential to actually save physical lives in addition to spiritual lives.  It is called “The Gift of Grace.”  It is the story of a nineteen year old college athlete who becomes pregnant.  Faced with a problem that could destroy her future, she decides to have an abortion.  Through a series of moving experiences, she places her baby for adoption. 

The script is ready and it is nearly cast.  Filming is scheduled for Monday, May 20-Saturday, June 1.  It’s coming up fast!  I am writing to ask for your help in making it happen.  The first movie was completely self-funded.  The second was partially self-funded and funded by private donations.  The third film will need to rely on the generosity of private donations.  We need your help.

If your life or someone close to you has been affected by such issues as abortion or adoption, please help.  If you want to see more beautiful and inspiring media available, please help.  If you want to make a tax deductible donation to offset your taxes, please help!  Our production company, Illumin8ed Productions is a not for profit entity.  We need to raise $25,000 in the next ten days.  We can do it with your help. 

To donate to The Gift of Grace, please utilize Paypal.  All donations go directly and entirely to the project by donating to illumin8ed@msn.com  We are aware of Kickstarter as a potential donation site, but with so few days until filming, and the format of all or nothing funding (the full amount requested has to be reached to get any of the donations), it won’t be feasible at this time.  Every dollar counts.  Please contribute!   

For donations of $50, we will include a free Stand Strong DVD.  For donations of $100, we will include a DVD of Stand Strong and Uphill Battle.  For donations over $1,000, you can come spend a day on set as well as receive both DVDs!  For donations over $5,000, we can find you a part in the film!

Like the Facebook page for The Gift of Grace for updates.  https://www.facebook.com/thegiftofgracemovie?fref=ts

You can like Stand Strong, Uphill Battle, and Illumin8ed Productions as well!

https://www.facebook.com/StandStrongMovie?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uphill-Battle/191072104271831?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illumin8ed-Productions/101348116621267?fref=ts

Thanks so much for your time and consideration,.  I hope to see you on set!

Sincerely,

Amy Kenney

A Life of Capability Celebrated and Remembered

Last fall, a friend stopped by and brought me a fridge magnet that she said caught her attention and made her think of me. In bold white letters on a black background is the quote:

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, steer a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new project, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly." -- Robert Heinlein.

The friend who gave me this great fridge magnet was complimenting my capability. I was humbled and honored, and I immediately thought of a role model who exhibited capabilities and capacities far beyond my own, in whom I look to as a mentor and guide.

My maternal grandmother, Karen Louise Rasmussen Lundell Steele was the epitome of capability. She was 5 ft. 1 inches of pure power. Though in the physical sense, most every family member over the age of ten towered over her, in the spiritual sense, she was boundless. Day in and day out, she rose at 4:00 AM to greet the morning with a five mile power walk. Walking her pace made the blood pool in my fingers, as I had to swing my arms too hard to keep the pace. I went with her a few times and practically jogged to keep up.

Her day flowed from one activity to the next. She accomplished more by 9:00 AM than most people achieve in a 24 hour period. I watched in awe as she scrubbed dishes, walls and baseboards, vacuumed, made telephone calls, fixed meals to take to sick friends and neighbors, weeded her yard, planned a primary lesson, organized a closet, finished a quilt, and prepared to leave to run errands. Did I mention she could do all that by 9:00 AM?! She could never sit still. Even in her down time, which consisted of watching the 10:00 PM news while brushing her teeth and writing in her journal, she was exquisitely productive. She hit her pillow each night exhausted from the thrill of hard work and real living and rose again with the same renewed and tireless vigor she carried throughout her life.

An afternoon in her presence was inspiring. She filled volumes and volumes of journals, left a legacy of six children, twenty seven grandchildren, and who knows how many great grandchildren. Well, she did. She had every one of them scheduled into her calendar and each received a birthday card, religiously. Each grandchild received a handmade quilt upon their high school graduation. Each new grandbaby and great grandbaby received a handmade quilt. Every Christmas and Easter she put on the biggest parties imaginable in her small and welcoming house. These events could be counted on as surely as the sun rising each day. She was faithful and consistent in every aspect of her life. Nothing got in her way, nothing held her back, not even cancer, and only death itself could stop her.

She was all a grandma should be, fun loving, creative, family focused, full of faith and love. She loved the Lord and used her considerable and varied talents, skills, gifts and abilities to serve others. The capability at which she could perform these skills was superhuman in life, and perfect in death. I feel her presence often and know that she is assisting and intervening in my behalf and especially in important family matters. Her influence is now completely unstoppable and eternal and the impact she has is just as broad.

Happy Birthday, Grandma! I love you and miss you and look forward to seeing you again!

Kenney Family News

Kenney Family News

2010 was a pretty exciting year for the Kenney Family. January started off with the birth of our ninth child, Matthew, who is better known as “Mamu.” He was nicknamed by Jada who was just over a year old at the time of his birth and who couldn’t say “Matthew.” The name just stuck. In May, Amy was hit by a car while cycling and lived. :) Thank goodness for helmets and angels! We had a crazy fun summer in July and August seeing nearly every local attraction from Snowbird to Burston Ponds rope swings with a family friend that was visiting. In September, the family, minus Aura and Christian, who had school, spent a week in Kauai. It was beautiful! Jada falls asleep many nights looking at a photo book of our trip. Shawn especially longs to return. By inspiration, we moved out of our house in October of 2009 and rented another home nearby. After remodeling our vacant house and preparing it for sale, we were inspired to move back into it in October of 2010. It seems we are still getting settled. We had a great holiday season as we were able to carry out a long planned and big surprise for Aura’s 18th birthday this year. Her best friend came for a visit and we again had a great local vacation sledding, skiing, snowmobiling and relaxing at Crystal Hot Springs.

Current News:

“Stand Strong,” the movie we made in 2009 was just picked up for distribution and will be released in Septemer 2011! We are preparing to film another movie in May. We are also working diligently to pay off our house in preparation to serve a mission as a family in three years.


Shawn is still working hard as the broker/owner of North Star Realty and is working on launching several other new businesses. He has been enjoying outdoor winter activities with the family and enjoys taking us on all the outdoor adventures he loves. He and Christian are currently working on mastering kite boarding. Up until Amy’s surgery, he was winter cycling outside with her. He loves setting goals and working toward achieving them. He was also just asked to be the presenting speaker at a Blue and Gold Banquet for scouting on an outdoor adventure and goal setting topic.

Amy just had a shoulder surgery to correct ligament and bone damage caused in the bike/car accident and will be wearing a sling through the end of April. All her cycling is now indoors on a winter trainer. Perhaps Shawn will set up the trainer on the deck a few times for some outdoor rides. :) She is working on the writing and details of the next movie during early morning and late night hours and is busy with the kids and their activities and schooling the rest of the time. Well, she does sleep too. She enjoys preparing and teaching the New Testament Sunday School lessons for the 15 yr.old class along with Shawn. She also loves studying the Book of Mormon, temple trips, and date night with Shawn.



Kenney Kids

Aura (18) is a full time student at Salt Lake Community College working on her general studies. She is taking 17 credit hours this semester. She just applied to transfer to BYU. We are waiting to hear if she was accepted. Please keep her in your prayers! She is in the second year of a business she started, teaching ballet and jazz dance to girls age 4-10. She is still dancing, singing, and enjoying all sorts of outdoor sports. She is a huge help with her younger siblings and a great example to them. She is very wise, loving and compassionate and consequently has many friends of all ages. She loves the gospel and sharing her testimony. She plans to serve a mission as soon as she is old enough. She has grown into a beautiful lady inside and out. She will be sorely missed when she goes away for school! We hope she gets into BYU Provo so she can come home lots!

Christian (16) is attending Juan Diego Catholic High School this year. He particularly loves his TV Production, Website Design, and Weight Lifting classes. He hates American Civilizations and Math! He also recently bought a 9.5 meter kite for kite boarding. He has a season pass at Brighton and snowboards every chance he gets. He just got his driver’s license and will be helping with lots of errands and some work through our real estate brokerage. He’s also interviewing along with some friends for a job at a local grocery store. He seemed to have grown about a foot in the past year and is quite a handsome young man. He is very fun, witty, and has many brilliant and inventive ideas for businesses and inventions. He is skilled at cinematography, everything outdoors, and working with his hands (definitely got this from his dad, and not from his mother.) One fun past time he enjoys is providing funny and witty responses to “yahoo questions” which is a public forum where people pose questions of all sorts and choose the best answer for their topic. He uses an alias and loves responding. His responses are often voted “best.” He is hilarious!


Sierra (14) is an amazing artist with a flair for interior design. She painted three of her bedroom walls different solid colors, and the fourth wall a tedious and complicated horizontal stripe pattern. She even had to “fix” the pattern when Noah took to the wall with a paintbrush. It looks great and fun with the clear beads she has hanging from the ceiling too! She loves to draw, sing, ride her dirt bike, play with her brothers and sisters, listen to music, do word puzzles, make things, and stay up all night. She is sensitive, funny, happy, smart, and very beautiful. She loves animals and has been begging for a dog or a horse. Aura is allergic to both, so the answer has always been “no.” She was very glad to move back to our house and be close to her best friend, Ashley again. She is looking forward to attending girls’ camp, Trek, which is a pioneer simulation, and EFY, which is a weeklong church youth activity, this summer.


Ethan (12) is a hard worker and is helpful from everything from babysitting to house and yard work. He enjoys Knights of Freedom which is a boys’ book club, scouting, playing with his brothers and sisters and friends, and going to work with Shawn. He is very wise and likes thinking and talking about gospel subjects. He has a quirky sense of humor and is constantly entertaining us with his impressions and zany dance moves. He was just ordained a Deacon and will begin passing the Sacrament this Sunday! He is very excited about that and to finally be old enough to attend the temple with his elder siblings.

Elijah (8) was so excited to be baptized in June. He attends Knights of Freedom with Ethan and also enjoys scouting, dirt biking, swimming, hiking, nature, outdoor adventures, playgrounds and waterslides. He is a nature lover with a very gentle heart. He loves having fun and will suffer through chores and school quickly to get to play. He has a fun and easygoing personality that is very enjoyable to be around. The little kids love him! He has a ton of energy and loves running, jumping and chasing. He is looking forward to starting soccer in March.

Dara (7) loves to draw, read, write, attend church, and do math. She loves learning and is an eager student. She attends a girls’ book and activity club called Liberty Girls where she learns many handicraft skills. She loves playing with her brothers and sisters. She takes good care of Noah, Jada and Matthew and is a great helper from babysitting to doing chores in the home and yard. She, like Sierra, Aura, Jada, and her mother is a late nighter who just thinks and works better after 9 PM!

Noah (4) loves coloring, playing with legos, drawing, listening to stories, playing in the sink with Jada, destroying things to see how they work, teaching Matthew, playing in his sisters’ makeup and nail polish, and asking questions all day long. He is definitely inquisitive and is always asking “why” and “what about…” He is fun and friendly, but also has a very serious and brooding side. He thinks a lot and makes some really interesting and wise observations. He has asked to learn to play the piano. We only have keyboards, so it looks like we are getting a piano soon. It can’t be emphasized enough how much he enjoys playing in nail polish and has a knack for finding it wherever it is hidden!

Jada (2) is the spitting image resemblance of Amy as a toddler. Her big blonde curls are the same “fraz-ma-taz” mop Amy’s were at that age. She is very independent and smart. She, Noah and Matthew spend their days exploring and playing together. She is very expressive and makes the best faces when explaining things, or just to get a laugh. She is essentially Noah’s conscience. We often hear her saying “No Noah!” throughout the day. Too bad her warnings are often too late. There is currently a nail polish mess on Noah’s hands and in the master bedroom closet that will take a miracle to get off.

Matthew (1) Mamu is the happiest baby ever. Not only does he follow all the kids around laughing at their antics, he belly laughs in his sleep. He is very sweet and cute and adored by everyone. He loves mashed potatoes and gravy, yogurt and oatmeal. He went through an applesauce stage where that was nearly all he would eat. He must have overdosed on it because now he won’t have anything to do with it. He is very small, wiry and agile and capable overall. He climbs shelves and chairs and it is common to find him up on the table. He loves dancing to music and has great rhythm. He follows Noah and Jada wherever they go. He can't walk yet, but he's got great climbing and jumping skills!

We’d love to hear what you are doing! Call, write, or stop by anytime!

We love you!

Love,
Shawn
Amy
Aura
Christian
Sierra
Ethan
Elijah
Noah
Jada
Matthew

Friday Night: Date Night

Shawn and I have been going on Date Night religiously, nearly every Friday night since we got married. It seems that we always live for Friday and the dedicated time we know we'll get to spend together. Our kids know it's just as a solid commitment as attending church on Sunday and plan their own activities accordingly.

Our Date Night activities vary depending on whether or not I am pregnant or nursing. With nine kids over the past 17 years, it's easy to see that being pregnant or nursing has been a constant. Partially due to those date nights, I'm sure! :) We've enjoyed many years of temple trips, movies, plays, hiking, eating out, double dating with friends, camping, staying overnight at a hotel, going for drives, parking, rock climbing, performances in the various arts, taking walks, planning or starting a business, visioning a project or goal, sitting in the hot tub at the gym, jogging, shopping, whatever. Last night was something new, and it was good!

We were on our way to the movie theater, when in conversation, we both agreed that there was really nothing worth seeing. So, we were without a plan. We decided to take a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see how steep and far it is to get to Alta because Shawn has a goal of cycling to it this summer. He just summited Suncrest a couple of days ago and was looking for a new challenge. Baby Matthew was also with us, as he is nursing and would have been nursing happily at the theater. We drove to the top, talking, laughing, and having a great time, all except for Matthew who wasn't so much enjoying himself. Since there was really no place to park, and Matthew was getting increasingly displeased, we half-heartedly began the drive home. We were both sad that Date Night was ending because it really was still too early to end our date and go home. We usually stay out til midnight and often, later.

Shawn had another idea. He proposed that I just hurry and nurse Matthew and leave him with Aura at home so we could go out again. Sounded good. It was almost 11:00 PM before we were again in the car and backing out of the driveway. As we reversed, Shawn said "So, where we goin?" "I dunno," I said. No sooner had I said it, that he changed directions. Literally. He stopped the car, and put it in drive, rather than reverse. He drove straight into the backyard. We were laughing our heads off as he drove across the acre lawn and parked inconspicuously under a tree in the far corner of the back yard. He rolled down the windows, turned off the headlights and the engine and slid his seat back. We kept laughing for another ten minutes it seemed, as we had finally found a good place to park, right in our own back yard. We were completely undetected by our children who were all inside the house, expecting that we'd left again. There was something so satisfying, dangerous, and funny about that situation.

After talking for twenty minutes or so, still laughing at our stealthiness, we were eyeing the backseat. Full of stuff. Too bad. "Hey, what about the RV?" I said. In a flash, Shawn was out of the car and opening my door. We walked hand in hand back across the acre of grass, back to the driveway. We quietly opened the RV door, and slipped inside, completely under the radar.

With a cloud cover that hid the moonlight for the most part, it was very dark. Perfect for hiding out. Now that our date night was literally in our own driveway, it was extra exciting, lots of fun, and totally free! We didn't spend a dime on Date Night and had the best time ever. It topped off the night that we got to listen to the rain on the roof of the RV. It felt just like camping. At midnight, we quietly made our way back across the grass, again hand in hand, feeling the cool mist of the new fallen rain on our faces. Shawn opened the car door for me and we drove back across the lawn to park the car in the driveway. We were home. We giggled on the porch until we could keep a straight enough face to open the door.

The kids who were still awake rushed to greet us when we entered the house. They asked "Where did you go?" "Nowhere really," we said, and we meant it. :)

Amy Kenney

Team Shawn and Amy

Shawn cycled with me a couple of days ago. It was the first time in a month. Our schedules haven't worked to enjoy a ride together. By that, I mean that Shawn hates going at the time I go, and I find it too difficult as the mother of nine, to go at any other time.

I get up at 4:45 AM and feed the baby until 5:45 AM. Monday through Saturday, I leave on my ride at 6:00 AM. It takes me an hour and forty minutes to get my 25 miles in, so I am home by 7:45 AM to start breakfast. Shawn is just getting up at that time and gathering everyone for scriptures and prayer. We realized long ago that our sleep requirements are very different. If I get more than 5-6 hours of sleep, I am useless, overtired, and apathetic. Shawn is just the opposite, if he gets any less than 8 hours of sleep, he has the same results. Early morning riding didn't appeal to Shawn at all because of either the cut into his sleep time, or the mandatory earlier bedtime it would require.

Despite his distaste for an early ride, we each compromised on the departure time and decided that we'd go at 6:30 AM. He was groggy and found it difficult to perform well. Out of frustration he said he wanted to go home about five miles into the ride because I was so far ahead of him most of the time. He hasn't ridden in a month, I reminded him. I became more conscientious of where he was behind me and decided to slow down. He continued on and finished out the ride.

After the ride, and throughout the day, he complained of being absolutely drained of energy. I ended up taking all the kids for a drive with me to Provo to bring Aura's scriptures to her on the BYU campus, as she forgot them that morning in her haste to leave for EFY. Christian drove us down there in the Excursion. I was so impressed with his calm focus under the stress of crying kids, road barricades, traffic congestion, dark, and lack of an address on campus...but that's another story. Our absence and the quiet that ensued, allowed Shawn to go to bed early and catch up on much needed sleep.

Because of his exhaustion, I assumed he wouldn't want to go again the next day, so I went alone again at my 6:00 AM time. When I got home he said he had gotten ready to leave at 6:30 and was disappointed that I'd already gone, so disappointed in fact, he went back to bed :) I apologized for my assumption. I made sure to wake him up the next day to go with me again.

We rode together and I made a greater effort to watch his pace. Halfway through the ride we had a brief upset and exchange of frustrations. I complained that his pace was too erratic , he complained that I was holding back. As with all our disagreements, a two minute burst of passion is all it takes to voice the problem and clear it up. We immediately agreed that we each have unique strengths in riding. He is incredible at the hard riding--steep, brutal, short bursts of power, I am a distance, endurance rider, requiring a good pace that allows strength over long periods of time and conserving power for a strong finish. When our skills are combined, we equal one phenomenal rider. Such is our marriage, really.

With four miles left of the ride, I hit a rock that caused an immediate and completely flat tire. Shawn had the tube changed out and the bike ready to go in under five minutes. I could have changed it if it had happened while I was alone, but it would have taken me at least 30 minutes!

After the ride, when Shawn went into the office to work, the kids and I spent several hours yesterday morning digging through a long lost plastic tub of family photos. I came across an article about Shawn from 1990 when he was 17 years old. I'd read it before and he told me the story years ago, but it wasn't until reading it again, and having years of first hand knowledge and understanding about Shawn, that I really appreciated the inspiration I had while reading.

Shawn and a friend had hiked to the top of Rock Canyon in Provo in t-shirts and shorts on a December afternoon. They planned to rappel down. They rappelled partway down a sheer cliff ledge and accidentally cut their rope on a rock. This shortened their rope considerably and made it so they could not complete their descent to the canyon floor. They were stranded on a cliff ledge for hours and were very cold when it got dark. They yelled, sang loudly, and flashed help signals with a flashlight. Someone saw their light and called police. An eight man rescue team brought them down off of the cliff. The ignominy of the situation was only heightened by the article in the paper in which their names were used.

In all the years I have known Shawn, he has always had a strong penchant for preparedness. Everywhere we go, everything we do, he is always more than prepared with everything from first aid, to food and water, money, to gear and back up supplies. It hit me yesterday, that he learned this lesson on that cliff ledge twenty years ago. I talked to the kids about it as we looked at pictures. They know how prepared he is too, so the lesson seemed very obvious to them as well. When Shawn returned from work, he passed me holding a new bike tube and several CO2 cartridges on his way to put them in my underseat bike pack. It reminded me to tell him about the observation I made. I got the article out and he re-read it. He said he had never consciously thought about when he started being so prepared, but realized that the experience had changed his life and did teach him the life-saving importance of being temporally prepared.

This morning we rode together again. This time we were both conscientious of our pace and were enjoying our shared ride. I was listening to the Book of Mormon on my ipod, and was at Alma 32. I had just summited a long hill and was resting happily on a descent. I was completely engrossed and enraptured in Alma's sermon on angels ministering to men, women, and children and a discourse on faith being like a seed that when planted and nourished, grows to a great tree from whence the fruit of eternal life can be picked. I was in such a state of reverie, pedalling along at 30 mph, that I did not hear Shawn when he yelled to me. I didn't know that he was trying to get my attention, until I caught the blur of something orange in my peripheral vision, and turned my head. Shawn was pedaling furiously to catch up to me on a newly finished road that had not been open the day before. It paralleled the road I was on, with a rocky park strip between us. He was excitedly yelling "Amy! Watch out!" and pointing ahead. I looked ahead and saw a concrete barrier spanning the entire road in front of me with no way around it. I grabbed hold of my brakes and squeezed as hard as I could, praying I could stop in time. I stopped about five feet short of slamming it head on.

I stood there, staring at the thick, 2.5 foot gray wall in front of me. I was stunned and speechless, then the tears came. I couldn't believe I had not even noticed the danger up ahead. How could I have not seen or noticed a concrete wall? If Shawn had not gotten my attention and warned me of the danger, I would have hit it with tremendous force. There is no doubt it would have done some serious damage to me and my bike.

Shawn was also surprised I didn't see the concrete wall, but noticed that I seemed to be smiling and enjoying myself, caught up in the moment. He noticed that my eyes were on the road directly in front of me, and not on the horizon and what was ahead. I was reminded of the need to not only be aware of the immediate choices and decisions of the moment, but to look beyond them often, to the eternal perspective, the big picture, the vast vision of the future ahead to better make course corrections in the moment that would facilitate the safe arrival at the pre-determined course in the distance.

When I got back on my bike and started again, this time on the parallel road next to Shawn, my mind took in the many applications for this experience. I realized that I had just been greatly humbled. I wasn't aware that I had been in such a state of pride. The pride I suffered is one of independence. I can get that way from time to time. I had been riding on my own for the last month and was confident in my own ability. I also thought of those parallel roads. They were both going the same direction, but one was deadly. What a metaphor. This experience reminded me how much I do need Shawn and how great we are for, and with, each other. Sometimes he warns me of a danger I don't notice, and sometimes it is me warning him. This state of interdependence is the whole point of marriage. We do make an incredible team.
Today I will be thinking about the blessing that is my marriage to Shawn, the big picture, humility, and interdependence. I feel so grateful and blessed I was spared physical trauma or death and have the luxury of contemplating these truths. I will also continue to ponder the importance of not only spiritual preparedness, but temporal preparedness as well. It does take both to achieve any kind of real safety of body, mind and spirit.

Bring It On!

This morning I could hardly see to cycle. Tears come easily for me and my experience today was too much.

Aura joined me for a twenty mile ride. She was adamant that I go my usual pace and not slow down for her. I can respect that. I love a challenge too. This put her about a half mile behind me at any given time. As I looked back over my shoulder to check her progress, a wave of joy passed over me. For just an instant, I saw her. I mean, really saw her, the way I experienced her when I was pregnant with her. Her spirit was so strong and all encompassing, when I finally met her, I knew her name had to be Aura. Just as I did when I looked into her eyes for the first time and noticed what a wise old soul she is, I understood so much about her and felt such gratitude for the opportunity to be her mother. This feeling is not uncommon, as I watch her often with that same admiration and amazement.

When Aura was an infant, I remember feeling, as she peered into my eyes, that she was looking right through me. Her presence and influence did much to inspire me to change. I was a selfish, wild and disobedient youth prior to having her. It took being a single mother for a time for me to learn many difficult life lessons. During my pregnancy, she undoubtedly felt the same emotional heartaches, struggles, and pain that I faced. I am sure those trying times did much to train her strength and empathy.

I ran two to five miles a day, and danced a lot while I was pregnant. I remember noticing that the baby had perfect rhythm and often "danced" and kicked on beat even in utero. She has kept that rhythm and has been a lifelong music lover, singer, and dancer.

I met Shawn when she was two months old. I remember our first date; the first time he held Aura and how nervous and rigid he was as if he were about to hold a fragile China doll. I said "Relax. You're not going to break her," as I put her in his arms. He loved her from the first time he saw her. Shawn and I were married six months later. Aura, Shawn and I smile with pleasure when people tell her how much she looks like him, even more so than she looks like me.

We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple fifteen months later. By this time, we had welcomed Aura's best friend, Christian to the family. She has shared a tight emotional bond with him since the day he was born. I remember having to continually let her hold him. She would not leave him alone. The love and care she has for him is still just as strong.

She has always been very outgoing and social, yet keenly observant in an almost introverted sort of way. She talked to anybody and everybody we saw, often watching people for hours. Consequently, she's a good actress and even better at mimicking "spot-on" impressions. Her natural tendency toward leadership was evident from a young age. Her cheeful confidence attracts people young and old alike. She was often stubborn, and her need for power and control often wore me out because of our daily battles. She eventually grew out of the tantrums as her power of verbal expression grew, which was such a blessing! As she matured, her ability for concentration, deep thought and powerful verbal expression expanded greatly. We have been having deep philosophical and spiritual conversations since she was about five years old. She is a perfectionist and works tirelessly at the things she deems worthy of her time.

Aura was an incredible violinist as a young child. Sadly one day she announced that she didn't love to play and that it was something I wanted more than she did. She was about 7 years old when she told me that. I was astounded at her maturity, but still disappointed she wanted to give up something she excelled at so much. The truth is, she has excelled at any pursuit she puts her heart into. She is a fast learner and tries new things regularly. She preferred to spend her time, energy, passion and countless devoted hours to dance, gymnastics, singing and guitar. She's an amazing performer with a charisma that is truly mesmerizing to watch. I am sure it is due to her passion and purposeful decision to glorify God in all she does.

Over time, as I've recognized more and more of her gifts and talents, I have come to be more and more in awe of her tremendous strength and capacity to love and serve others. She is so much better a person than I was at her age, much more wise, devoted, obedient and accomplished.

When she was 13, a huge transformation occurred in her overall attitude and demeanor. She gained a sense of purpose and gratitude I wasn't expecting until much later. One day while I was writing on the computer and she was reading on the sofa next to me, she put her book down and made a statement that I never thought I'd hear until she had children of her own. She said "Mom, thank you for homeschooling me. A lot of my friends want to be home schooled and they beg their parents. They want to spend time pursuing their talents like art, music or dance. They don't like getting teased at school or being around a lot of bad stuff that is there. Their parents tell them to deal with it. It makes me sad because these kids know what they need and their parents don't want to help them because they might have to sacrifice their own things for their kids. They tell their kids it's too hard. It reminds me of the picture of Jesus that says "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." I'm so glad you thought I was worth it, Mom." I was dumbfounded for several minutes, and teary of course

After that time, she became very purposeful about the books she read, music she listened to, the way she spent her time. She wrote essays and stories, and gained more and more conviction and a love for truth and virtue. She went to the temple weekly from the time she was twelve, maybe missing only a period of six months when she was sixteen. That was a long enough contrast for her to realize that she would never be too busy or distracted to go without regular attendance again. This was always my prayer for her. I knew how strong, stubborn and hard headed she was as a toddler and child. I knew that if she could be set in the right direction, she'd go on forever on her own, unstoppable in her desire to do and be good. One of her first words was "appropriate." I still laugh when I think of it. And yes, it is still one of her favorite words! She sets a great example for her eight younger siblings and is conscientious of her role as an influence and mentor. She has discovered and lives well her greatest life purpose, leading people to Christ.

Aura has a courageous, daring, and brave streak that has been very fun to watch. Our family went on a river rafting trip down the Snake River in Jackson Hole, WY when she was eight. There were Class 5 rapids most of the way. The rapids were twice as high as our raft most of the time and it often seemed to buckle and fold toward the helm where she was sitting. I will never forget watching Aura soaked and dripping from the spray of the rapids, smiling as broadly as she could, laughing uncontrollably and yelling at the top of her lungs "Bring it on!" This is how I picture her in my mind. It is the statement that sums up her determination and love of a challenge. Shawn and I went bungee jumping when she was even younger, maybe five. She cried and cried to be big because she was too young and too light to do it herself as per the rules. She had a great time jumping from a forty foot+ rickety platform inside a gran cenote. This cenote was a large underground cave that we visited somewhere between Tulum and Coba, in Mexico.

Christian has earned over 50 merit badges, and Aura has basically earned them along with him, doing all the requirements and rugged outdoor fun with him and Shawn. That was her only complaint about girls' camp, the fact they didn't get to canoe, shoot guns, backpack, rappel, or climb. They made jewelry instead. She loves such outdoor activities as paragliding, scuba diving, cycling, running, backpacking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, dirt biking, body boarding, jet skiing, and hiking. One of her favorite trips was to Zion's to hike the Narrows and to slot canyoneer Keyhole Canyon.

A few years ago, she started running with me. It wasn't long before her long, slender and graceful legs outpaced mine. I expect it's only a matter of time before the same will hold true for cycling, and in life in general. This is actually my hope and prayer for her. I would love for her to outpace me in every way, and in many ways, she already has. She is a truly excellent and beautiful woman, inside and out. In another year, she will be gone, off for the adventure of college away from home. My heart is already breaking, but at the same time, I'm wildly excited for her!


Thanks for all the joy you bring to my life, Aura. I love you.

Love,

Mom